Accessibility tools
AI-translated website—pardon any small errors!
Note: No longer in repertoire!
Cast: Eeva-Liisa Haimelin, Markku Huhtamo, Kirsi Karlenius, Lilga Kovanko, Lotta Kuusisto, Pekka Laiho, Tiia Louste, Sanna Majuri, Sakari Männistö, Jyrki Nousiainen, Reidar Palmgren, Jari Pehkonen, Matti Olavi Ranin, Matti Rasila, Marjut Toivanen, Eija Vilpas
Director: Anneli Mäkelä
Set and costume design: Katariina Kirjavainen
Choreography: Javier Torres
Lighting design: Juha Westman
Sound design: Antero Mansikka
BUSTLE OF CHARACTERS AND TWISTS Helsinki City Theatre’s new version of the classic fairy tale about Sleeping Beauty, who fell asleep for a hundred years, is a major investment in children’s and family theatre. Katariina Kirjavainen’s costumes and other settings are stunning in their perfection. An effect world of lights, sounds and clouds of smoke takes the viewer to the enchanting world of a fairy tale. The students of the Circus School Bravuuri in Kymenlaakso, led by Konsta Nakov , surprise with their skilful acrobatic acts. The premiere audience was delighted with the first applause only shortly before the intermission, when the circus scene started and seven-year-old Aino Sormunen was able to show off her solid flexibility. The cast includes first-class artists, including small roles. Sanna Majuri is a sweetly beautiful princess and, above all, she acts well. Reidar Palmgren as a boy experiencing a fantasy adventure succeeds in the same way and offers an object of identification if he wants to intervene in the course of the fairy tale. Jari Pehkonen’s funny king father is top-notch comedy acting, and Reetta Honkakoski’s touchingly beautifully executed animal characters are both fascinating and frightening. Sakari Männistö juggles skillfully, even on a ladder, and is the proudly handsome Unicorn. It is a pleasure to watch the presence and concentration of a large group of actors. Jyrki Nousiainen’s comprehensive mimicry, the funny troubadours of Jarkko Rantanen and Matti Rasila , and Matti Olavi Rani’s difference in several roles stand out nicely. Pekka Laiho is the narrator of the fairy tale, a wise old man whose benevolent twinkle remains in the corner of his eye, even though the events of the play are concentrated elsewhere. Indeed: especially the male actors do a good job. But then, when you start looking for something to say under the consistently successful acting, the whole thing starts to fall apart. The external setting and content of the fairy tale are in completely different worlds! Anneli Mäkelä , who is in charge of the Helsinki City Theatre’s family theatre, dramaturg and director of the performance, has constructed the story technically correctly, according to some theoretical children’s theatre model. However, there are so many characters and twists and turns that the whole thing slips into a mess at times. How can a primary school child keep up when even an adult who has taken university speed reading courses wakes up lost? Sleeping Beauty is based on a Disney production. The format of the commercial entertainment industry prioritizes big-money technology that is known to please the eye of the majority. It is not meant to sink into the mind or stay.
Read moreSLEEPING BEAUTY Who doesn’t know a fairy tale about Sleeping Beauty? Now you can see it at the City Theatre. The king and queen have wanted a child for a long time, but there have been no results. The queen cries all day long and the king clumsily tries to comfort his wife. One day, however, they are predicted to have a baby girl before the year is up. Miraculously, the prophecy came true, and a big christening party was organized for the little one. Seven elves would have been invited to the party, but since there were only six gold plates, the queen did not invite one. The king was very angry with his wife when he heard this, because the queen had not invited the fairy Carabossa, who would surely be angry. However, the festivities progressed, and the elves gave their gifts. Just when it was the turn of the last elf, Carabo himself entered. He predicted that on Sleeping Beauty’s fifteenth birthday, the princess would put her finger in her spindle and die. However, the last fairy was able to reduce the spell to a hundred years’ sleep until the prince came to save her. To be on the safe side, the king ordered the destruction of all spindles in the whole country, and no new ones were to be acquired or commissioned. But was Sleeping Beauty still safe? The frog was funny and the wild goose was great. I especially liked the three young child actors, who did play supporting roles in the play, but they were insanely flexible and bent into incredible positions. The stage was full of magnificent costumes and sets.
Read moreLOTS OF NEW, SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING BORROWED AND SOMETHING BLUE How can a centuries-old folk tale be any different today than it was yesterday? Say it. At least this latest version of Sleeping Beauty at the Helsinki City Theatre differs slightly from the previous ones. A really big nugget. So all of us have a good reason to check it out, those of us who are now or have once been the smallest in the family.
Read more
